Policy information sourced from The London Plan 2021

E1 Offices

  1. Improvements to the quality, flexibility and adaptability of office space of different sizes (for micro, small, medium-sized and larger enterprises) should be supported by new office provision, refurbishment and mixed-use development.
  2. Increases in the current stock of offices should be supported in the locations in Parts C and D below.
  3. The unique agglomerations and dynamic clusters of world city businesses and other specialist functions of the central London office market, including the CAZ, NIOD (Northern Isle of Dogs) and other nationally-significant office locations (such as Tech City and Kensington & Chelsea), should be developed and promoted. These should be supported by improvements to walking, cycling and public transport connectivity and capacity. Future potential reserve locations for CAZ-type office functions are identified at Stratford and Old Oak Common, capitalising on their current and potential public transport connectivity to central London, the UK and beyond.
  4. The diverse office markets in outer and inner London (outside the areas identified in Part C) should be consolidated and – where viable – extended, focusing new development in town centres and other existing office clusters supported by improvements to walking, cycling and public transport connectivity and capacity including:
    • the strategic outer London office location at Croydon town centre
    • other town centre office locations (having regard to the Town Centre Network office guidelines in Table A1.1 and Figure A1.4 in Annex 1)
    • existing urban business parks (such as Chiswick Park, Stockley Park and Bedfont Lakes), taking steps towards greater transport sustainability of these locations
    • locally-oriented, town centre office provision to meet local needs.
  5. Existing viable office floorspace capacity in locations outside the areas identified in Part C should be retained, supported by borough Article 4 Directions to remove permitted development rights where appropriate, facilitating the redevelopment, renewal and re-provision of office space where viable and releasing surplus office capacity to other uses.
  6. Boroughs should consult upon and introduce Article 4 Directions to ensure that the CAZ, NIOD, Tech City, Kensington & Chelsea and geographically-defined parts of other existing and viable strategic and local office clusters (such as those in and around the CAZ, in town centres and other viable business locations – see Part D3 above) are not undermined by office to residential permitted development rights.
  7. Development proposals related to new or existing offices should take into account the need for a range of suitable workspace including lower cost and affordable workspace.
  8. The scope for the re-use of otherwise surplus large office spaces for smaller office units should be explored.
  9. The redevelopment, intensification and change of use of surplus office space to other uses including housing is supported, subject to the provisions of Parts G and H.

For more information please see The London Plan 2021